Washing machine



D. W. SESSlONS June 11, 1957 WASHING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 1 1955 IN V EN TOR. ORAEY HON/GIL W June 11, 1957 w. SESSIONS 2,795,125

WASHING MACHINE Filed Sept. 15, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. flaw/740 W EJf/ONS June 11, 1957 D. w. SESSIONS 2,795,125

WASHING MACHINE Filed Sept. 15, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I INVENTOR. fia/vfim wax/0N;

United States Patent 2,795,125 WASHING MACHINE Donald W. Sessions, Lansing, Mich.

Application September 15, 1955, Serial No. 534,568

3 Claims. (Cl. 6810) This invention relates to a continuous and progressively fed cylinder clothes washer of the commercial type and is more specifically directed to an improved construction and combination of drive means that is interposed between the Washing cylinders and the various rotors carrying such cylinders to provide novel and efficient driving means for said cylinders. The invention herein presented constitutes an improvement over such r rotor to rotor in such multi-rotor Washers and particularly since the rotors normally operate at diiferent rotational velocities. The intoduction of an extractioncycle'brings in a rotor that is driven unidirectionally at high speed velocity in contrast to adjacent rotors that normally operate at relatively low speeds and may or may not be univ directional in operation. 7

It has also been the practice in the past to lock the cylinders to the rotors in their various washing, rinsing, extracting, drying or fiuffing stations. alignment ofrotors into certain predetermined angular relationships to facilitate further locking of the cylinders to the rotors after each advancement from stage to stage is performed. v

The more modern practice in horizontal washers of the continuous progressive type has been to eliminate alignment requirements and to carry out the entire washing cycle without stopping the rotors or cylinders in their progress through the machine by virtue of the concentrically-symmetrical designs of the cylinders and by other improvements that directly contribute to the operational phases of these continuous multi-phase types of washers.

Various means have been employed to pass and guide the cylinders along the lane of rotors and across the gaps between such rotors, and more specifically to releasably connect or join the cylinders to the rotors containing the same after each shift of the cylinders. This problem pre sented the most ditficulty during the displacementof the cylinders from slow speed to high speed stages, and vice versa, it being understood that periodic opposite oscillation or rotation of adjacent rotors complicates this transfer problem.

Various frictional means for cooperation between the This required the v 2,795,125 Patented June 11, 1957 It is one of the main objects of the present invention to simplify the continuous washer rotor and cylinder construction in such a manner as to provide eifective cylinder revolving means adapted for long life and eflicient use under all normal conditions of operation in commercial types of washers of the character noted.

' It is another object of the invention to introduce an arrangement for driving the cylinders within the rotors which has the ability to tone down or step up the rotational velocity of thecylinders as they pass between the rotors from stage to stage wherein such adjacent rotors required to operate at widely different velocities or in opposite directions as the case may be when the cylinders are being transferred between rotors.

Other objects relating to the novel features of the present invention shall hereinafter appear in the following detailed description having reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred arrangement and combination of elements for carrying out the inherent contributions of the present invention and forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a general diagrammatic layout of a continembodying the newly designed cylinder rotor combination the various stations of operation in the washer; Figure 2 is a transverse vertical cross-sectional view taken through the machine substantially along the line IlII in Figure 1 to diagrammatically illustrate certain other details of construction and the general arrangement 'of the various mechanisms;

' view through the rotor and cylinder combination as taken substantially along the line IVIV in Figure l;

.z'Figure 5 is a transverse cross-sectional View fragmentarily showing a portion of the Figure 4 construction as generally seen along the line V-V therein; 1

\ Figure 6 is a diagrammatic developed view of a portion of the cylinder surface as seen in a single plane and its cooperative relationship with respect to adjacent rotors and to illustrate the cooperative driving means between the'r'otors and the cylinders; and 1 Figure 7 is an end View of one of the rotors per se. The general layout of the continuous washer installation may best be understood by reference to Figure 1 in 'the drawings and consists of the Washer 1 divided into compartments 2, 3, 4 and 5, together with loading and unloading stations 6 and 7 to be serviced by means of a suitable continuous overhead track system 8 leading from a cylinder loading platform 9 to the washer and away from the latter to a cylinder unloading platform 10.

The compartments 2, 3, 4 and 5 may or may not be divided into smaller divisions to provide different washing and rinsing stages for the cylinders but for the purposes of this invention and for the sake of clarity such throughout the washer 1 and in the rotors 11 to 14, the

entire group of cylinders being arranged for endwise progress through the machine as may be brought about through suitable means such as a hydraulic ram 16 that is controlled by a hydraulic power cylinder 17.

I All of the rotors are supported for rotation upon suitably mounted guide rollers 18 and .19 as seen'in Figure 2 with certain of said rotors such as 11 and 12 each having a plurality of oppositely disposed buckets 20 and 21 arranged about-their. periphery to;; scoop ;up the.tw ater .from r the" baths provided 1 in each compartment -where needed. The liquid level is, herein maintained below-the rotors'carrying the cylinders atthe washing stages,;the level being shown at .22 in Figure 2 so that the solutions may be independently asegregated w,hile..e,ndwise move- ,mentof the cylinderslifrom compartmmt-tmcompartment and rotor. to rotor canwbe .accomplished'freely.

I The rotors 11, 12,:13iand 14;. aredrivenubyzameans; of belts 23, 24, 25,.and t26 connected-with .pulleys-rsuche-as ;27; and 28 secured to drive shafts 29 :andz30, ;ther.= various drivesbeing independent and arranged'for different'speeds .to carryout the washing'. cycle. ;AS seen in Figure 1,; rotors 11 and .12 may be I'CVOlVfid;fit speeds determineddn 1accordance .with the: formula :set forthzinsmyi ctkpending V application- Serial N0, 15,62 6,;-;fi,rst1 in, one. direction; for a settime and then ;in the other, directiomacithertogether ,or on otT-time intervals. Rotor 13 represents. ansextraction cycle-and-is usuallydriven at relativelyxhighzspeeds in one direction atarate of approximately 600;R.. P- :M. or faster. Then a flutfing and dryingxrotor,:such;as14 is used and rotated at slower speeds eithenunidirectionally or reversibly. I j v In carrying outthe advance. Of'IjhQZCYIlHdCIS ISZ through the machine from a stage to stage, the, cylinders. 15' have been. designated to easily makethe transposition :from one rotor, to. the nextrotor without. ,changingeort interfering .with the rotoractuationand Without reducing the relative speeds ofthe rotors or bringing adjacent rotors to similar speeds at change-overintervals. In addition, thecylinders 15 have further: been designed to coact frictionally-with ,the.rotors:for the purpose of vdrivingthe cylindersat j rotor. speeds, over-running speeds in reversible. rotor. operation, and to conveniently and efliciently makerthetransi- ,tion between rotors. .-Figures-3 to ,7. shownthe main-features associatedwith the cylinderslSwhich contributeto carry out the objects lOf this new arrangement and coactionbetween rotors and :cylindcrs. Each cylinder 15 is of the usual cylindrical sheet metal construction having a perforated bodyfll with aloading ,door end 32: and .a dead end 33, the door end carrying a friction-pad-34,- while the dead end-carries .an antifriction button 35. The cylinders .are advanced through the. contacting-members. 34 and -35 under the .action of the ram 16,-andsince the members 34 and 35 make adjacent cylinders-rotationally independent, changes in the speedtorzdirectionrof-rotation ofuthe individual cylinders through rotors or from rotorito rotor willnot beafiected.

Each iofthe :cylinders '15 is provided .with frictional i driving plates K or bands 36 peripherally secured-to'the cylinder body '31 and between; the. leading and :trailing ends of the cylindercomprising: the dead end 33 and door end .32 of the .cylinder. Theinteriors of the:rotors are ,emoothbutitheir diameters areall alike and only. slightly larger than the constructional limits of the overall outside diametersof the driving plates or bands 36 .as determined at 180 locations with respect to the cylinders. The'clear- --an,cebetween-the rotors and bands is such asto perrnit Jateral or endwise displacement of the individual cylinders and yet to provide-sufficient normal frictionalcontact due :tothe; weight of the cylinders and clothes, this action=also beingaided by any .ofi-center loads in the cylinders which loads further act to increase the necessary frictional driving unions between cylinders and rotors.

Assembly or securement of the peripherally -situated :plates or bands 36 or replacement thereof may be accomplished by'attaching the bands 36 to the bodies 31 of the cylinders 15 byscrews 37-or through otherattachment :devices. Furthermore, the bands may be variedinsurface area to suitconditions of operation and to properly span the gaps 'that exist between'rotors 1 so 'thatthe cylinders are well guided and received by. successive rotors and guided between rotors as the cylinders are actuated lengthwise through the washer.

Although units 36 have been defined as bands they are 5 individually spaced about the outer peripheral circumference of the cylinders. so as to provide a number of gaps or slots 38 therebetween for the reception of key bars such as 39 that are carried upon the inner periphery of the rotors. In this connection, the key bars 39 may be supplied as a single bar or as multiple bars .as shown in Figure 7. These bars, however, are spaced in a predetermined angular relationship with respect to: the circumference of the rotors so that they will bear a direct relationship between the positioning of the various friction plates or bands 36 and more specifically in relation to the slots 38 therebetwcen.

Referring more specifically to Figures 3 and 6, it should be -notedI that the ,bands are each provided with tapered .sectionsAO and 41 so that the adjacent tapered sections 20,40and 41 between adjacentpplates 36 will diverge out- .wardly in the direction in which the cylinders are shifted throughthemachine and that; the pair of divergingsec' tionsU-of the bands 36 blend into and, form guides in con- ,nectionwith the slots 38 for thereception of the key bars .39. Furthermore, eachofthe frictionplates or bands .36 vextendacross from face to face. of the cylinders. ".With this construction a cylinder maybe moved from .rotor. to rotor as across the gap g42:between rotors 12 and .13 -as shown in Figures 4 and 6, and the advanced portions of the bands will frictionally contact the receiving .edge ,of.the rotor 13-.whilejthe trailing edges of each of the bands willsteadily move out ofthe rotorjlZ. It .should also be noted, as shown in Figures 41and 6, that the lteybars 39 have their cylinder receiving terminalends ifldisposed inwardly from the edge 44 of the rotor 13 .which ,.gives theleading edges of the bands 36 of the ad yancing cylinder 15 an opportunity; to be frictionally toned .downwardly or upwardly in speed depending upon the relative rotational speed .of the rotors 12 and 13. In other words, by first causing the cylinders to -;arrive at some intermediate speed adjustment between rotors before the keybar or bars 39 enter'the guide gaps 45 between ,vthebands 36 as the cylinder advances into the rotorand whereby such. key bars will eventually find their way unto the retaining slotssuch as 38 to cause a positive drive, between the rotors and thecylinders.

By using the wide gap between adjacent plates 36, such, as.45, the union between the key bars and the. slots 38 is.,easily accomplished regardless of whichdirection rotor and the adjustment immediately takes place in bringing the key bar into alignment with the slots to provide ,thrspositive drive between the rotors and cylinders. 0b- ,viously, it shouldbe noted that the slots 38 are ,open :through so that the cylinders may advance through the .rotor-inendwise fashion. to thenexttstation or to leave .thesamerotorand advance into the next adjacent rotor '.t0;be. keyed to the rotor in the same fashion. Attention .is.also. directed to the fact that when the cylinders are in position in a rotor with. the key bars 39 in the slots 38 ,thatreverse rotation of the cylinder under a reversible ,motor brother suitable drive will cause immediate reversalofthe cylinder with a minimum of noise and with a, minimum of'lost motion between the, cylinder and the rotor to thus create a stronger construction and to prevent slapping and bauging between the key bars and the bands LWhichwasone. of the objectionablefeatures encountered wirr the.constructionhereinbcfore shown in my prior patent :No. 2,645,914.

1 Referring back to Figure 2, it should be noted that the belt' drive' -24 drives the rotor 12 at a-suitable speed through a suitable power drive as by means .of a motor *connectedwithshaft 29. As further seen. in Figure 2, a

76 the belt 25 through the pulley 28 on shaft 30. This "the cylinders arerotating in relation tothenext adjacent drive may be continued by means of a belt or chain 46 connected with a drive pulley or sprocket 47 secured to a shaft 48 that is driven through a suitable changeable speed power transmission 49 that receives its motive power through shaft 50 and coupling 51 from a motor shaft 52 carried by the motor 53. Any suitable change speed or variable speed control such as 54 having a depending hand operated cord or link means 55 may be used for operating the tnansmission unit 49 in order to obtain a predetermined speed for the extraction rotor 13.

It is, therefore, also contemplated with the present invention to provide suitable variable speed means whereby it is momentarily possible to tone down the speed of one rotor to such an extent as to cut down the speed of one rotor with respect to the other, particularly during the time that the cylinders are shifted through the machine or advanced by means of the ram 16 operated by the hydraulic cylinder 17. Obviously, Where the relative speeds between the adjacent rotors are not too great there is no need for a speed reduction in one rotor with respect to the other, but from experience it is more practical to reduce the speed of an extraction rotor in relation to the next adjacent washing or flufling rotors so as to provide a better transfer situation of the cylinders from one of the rotors into the next of the rotors. Obviously, a direct transfer and driving connection as brought about through the key bars 39 and the bands 36 may be solely utilized, but such action can be supplemented by slowing down the rotor speeds during a transfer of cylinders under certain conditions of operation.

The above description has been directed to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but it is also possible to make certain changes and alterations in the exact elements herein employed or in the combination of elements herein used without departing from the fundamental concept of this invention. Any such modifications, however, shall be governed by the breadth and scope of the language of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A washing machine comprising in combination: a rotor, drive means to revolve said rotor; a clothes holding cylinder arranged for guided passage through said rotor; means to transmit revolving motion of said rotor to said cylinder comprising a series of longitudinally extending, circumferentially spaced bars secured to the inner surface of said rotor, a plurality of bands secured to the external surface of said cylinder, each of said bands having portions which taper toward one end of said cylinder, said bands being spaced from each other to provide a slot, said bars being receivable in said slots.

2. A progressive washing machine, comprising in combination: at least two rotors disposed in axial alignment; drive means to revolve each of said rotors; clothes holding cylinders arranged for guided passage through and between each of said rotors; actuating mechanism to move said cylinders through said rotors; means to transmit the revolving motion of said rotors to said cylinders and to guide movement of said cylinders through said rotors comprising a series of longitudinally extending, circumferentially spaced bars secured to the inner surface of each of said rotors, a plurality of bands secured to the external surface of each of said cylinders, adjacent bands being provided with oppositely tapered edges together defining a divergent zone adjacent the leading edge of the cylinder, said adjacent'bands having parallel edges adjacent the trailing edges of said bands defining a slot substantially equal in thickness to the thickness of said bars, said slot being parallel to the axis of said cylinders and rotors, the total number of said slots being equal to the number of said bars, said bars being receivable within said slots.

3. A progressive cylinder type washing machine comprising in combination: at least two rotors disposed in axial alignment; drive means to revolve each of said rotors independently; clothes holding cylinders arranged for guided passage through and between each of said rotors; actuating mechanism to move said cylinders through said rotors; means to transmit the revolving motion of said rotors to said cylinders and to guide movement of said cylinders through said rotors comprising a series of longitudinally extending, circumferentially spaced bars secured to the inner surface of each of said rotors, said bars terminating inwardly of the cylinder receiving ends of the rotors to provide an annular zone of receiving the leading portion of said cylinder, a series of bands secured to the external surface of each of said cylinders, said bands being equal in number to the bars, each of said bands having a generally U-shaped section on the leading portion of said cylinder, the ends of said U-shaped section lying parallel with the axis of said rotors and cylinders and with said bars, adjacent bands on said cylinder being spaced to define a divergent Zone adjacent the leading portion of said cylinder and a slot substantially equal in thickness to the thickness of said bars, said bars being receivable in said slots.

No references cited. 

